What does a communications dispatcher do?
Communications dispatchers are responsible for answering emergency calls and dispatch officials to sort out the situation. They are often called 911 operators or 911 dispatchers and respond to the calls from the public and relay the messages to the medical personnel, police, or the fire staff to the scene of the emergency occasion. Typical duties of communications dispatchers include receiving and responding to emergency calls, recording the calls, evaluating incidents, and prioritizing calls. Their job requires them to earn a certain certification as well as training. Interpersonal and strong listening skills are vital in this field.
Communications dispatcher responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real communications dispatcher resumes:
- Manage Facebook page and create event page for grand opening.
- Provide first aid, CPR and emergency oxygen as required.
- Provide telephone service on the TDD communication device for the deaf and hearing impair.
- Respond verbally and used TDD (text telephone device for hearing or speech impair) to communicate with callers when need.
- Maintain composure and compassion while handling emergency and non-emergency calls from a diverse community
- Coordinate the response of ambulances and public safety units to emergency sites or in-progress crime situations.
- Supervise communications security (COMSEC) account and material accountability.
- Supervise and assist subordinate operation with switching and COMSEC operation.
Communications dispatcher skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Communications Dispatchers are proficient in Computer Aided Dispatch, CAD, and Emergency Situations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Ability to multitask, Empathy, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Communications Dispatchers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Computer Aided Dispatch, 12%
Entered citations, accident reports and calls for service into Computer aided dispatching system accurately.
- CAD, 8%
Prioritized incoming calls for service and 911, dispatched all police and fire units required utilizing CAD and all government systems.
- Emergency Situations, 5%
Dispatched police, fire and ambulance personnel in various emergency and non-emergency situations.
- CPR, 5%
Updated tow/repo entry log Florida State Dispatcher certified NCIC/FCIC certified CPR certified Emergency Medical Dispatch certified FEMA certified
- Dispatch System, 5%
Received emergency calls by telephone, radio system and computer-aided dispatch systems.
- Good Judgment, 5%
Position required constant contact with the public in stressful situations that require good judgment, considerable tact, and calmness
Common skills that a communications dispatcher uses to do their job include "computer aided dispatch," "cad," and "emergency situations." You can find details on the most important communications dispatcher responsibilities below.
Ability to multitask. One of the key soft skills for a communications dispatcher to have is ability to multitask. You can see how this relates to what communications dispatchers do because "public safety telecommunicators must stay calm in order to simultaneously answer calls, collect vital information, coordinate responders, monitor multiple displays, and use a variety of equipment." Additionally, a communications dispatcher resume shows how communications dispatchers use ability to multitask: "trained and certified for epd, emd and efd protocols. "
Empathy. Another essential skill to perform communications dispatcher duties is empathy. Communications dispatchers responsibilities require that "public safety telecommunicators must be willing to help a range of callers with varying needs." Communications dispatchers also use empathy in their role according to a real resume snippet: "trained new employees on customer service etiquette as well as understanding the eve operator system. "
Listening skills. This is an important skill for communications dispatchers to perform their duties. For an example of how communications dispatcher responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "public safety telecommunicators must listen carefully to collect relevant details, even though some callers might have trouble speaking because of anxiety or stress." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a communications dispatcher: "communicated with patrol officers and supervisors on the street including call taking, entering call takers information and dispatching calls. ".
Typing skills. A big part of what communications dispatchers do relies on "typing skills." You can see how essential it is to communications dispatcher responsibilities because "public safety telecommunicators enter the details of calls into computers; typing speed and accuracy are essential when responding to emergencies." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical communications dispatcher tasks: "maintained contact & dispatched officers via radio contact logging into activity log book as well as typing officer's incident reports. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in communications dispatcher job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what communications dispatchers do. Communications dispatcher responsibilities rely on this skill because "public safety telecommunicators work with law enforcement, emergency response teams, and civilians." You can also see how communications dispatcher duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "facilitate emergency communications between government, state, and local agencies during emergency situations. "
The three companies that hire the most communications dispatchers are:
- San Bernardino County4 communications dispatchers jobs
- City of Atlanta4 communications dispatchers jobs
- Logan Health3 communications dispatchers jobs
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Compare different communications dispatchers
Communications dispatcher vs. 911 operator
A call taker works at a call or dispatch center, where they are primarily in charge of answering calls, identifying the callers' needs, and coordinating services to assist them right away. Although their responsibilities depend on their company or industry of employment, it usually involves answering inquiries, processing requests, arranging appointments or reservations, and handling issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. When it comes to employment, a call taker may work for 911 dispatch centers, taxi companies, towing services, and private hotlines.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, communications dispatcher responsibilities require skills like "emergency situations," "good judgment," "data entry," and "patrol." Meanwhile a typical 911 operator has skills in areas such as "public safety agencies," "non-emergency services," "medical dispatch," and "non-emergency situations." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
911 operators tend to reach similar levels of education than communications dispatchers. In fact, 911 operators are 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Communications dispatcher vs. Call taker
The communications supervisor handles all internal and external communications of the company. This supervisor focuses on ensuring all communications are disseminated efficiently throughout the company. The communications supervisor also works on maintaining the image of the company through press releases, correspondence with customers, attractive quotations and witty lines for advertising, and many more. Through the communications supervisor, the company develops its voice to the public and establishes its face in the market.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real communications dispatcher resumes. While communications dispatcher responsibilities can utilize skills like "good judgment," "two-way radio," "radio communications," and "emergency services," call takers use skills like "taker," "customer service," "gps," and "service calls."
Call takers may earn a higher salary than communications dispatchers, but call takers earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $42,836. On the other hand, communications dispatchers receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,886.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Call takers tend to reach similar levels of education than communications dispatchers. In fact, they're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Communications dispatcher vs. 911 telecommunicator
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, communications dispatchers are more likely to have skills like "good judgment," "data entry," "patrol," and "two-way radio." But a 911 telecommunicator is more likely to have skills like "public safety agencies," "medical dispatch," "non-emergency telephone calls," and "medical services."
911 telecommunicators typically earn similar educational levels compared to communications dispatchers. Specifically, they're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Communications dispatcher vs. Supervisor of communications
Even though a few skill sets overlap between communications dispatchers and supervisors of communications, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a communications dispatcher might have more use for skills like "dispatch system," "good judgment," "data entry," and "patrol." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of supervisors of communications require skills like "patients," "developmental disabilities," "powerpoint," and "non-emergency calls. "
The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for supervisors of communications, with average annual pay of $82,448. Comparatively, the highest communications dispatcher annual salary comes from the government industry.The average resume of supervisors of communications showed that they earn higher levels of education compared to communications dispatchers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 5.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.0%.Types of communications dispatcher
Updated January 8, 2025
